Seam ripping device



Sept. 30, 1952 P sc n- 2,611,954

SEAM RIPPING DEVICE I Filed March 13, 1950 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 30, 1952 UNITED smite BEAM RIPPING DEVICE Peter A. Schmitt, Modesto, Calif. Application March 13, 1950, Serial No. 149,307

(Ciao-211) 1 Claim.

I This invention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, a novel, manually supported seam ripping device for use by'a seamstress, or a housewife during sewin activities.

In altering garments it is necessary that seams be ripped by cutting the stitching, and this is usually a very tedious operation, especially where' an open-blade or scissors are used, as great caution must be exercised not to cut the cloth.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a small, compact, easily manipulated device which may be used, by hand, to cut the stitching along a seam; the device being arranged so that it is impossible to cut or slit the cloth.

A separate object of the invention is to provide a seam ripping device which includes a novel slotted head and a cooperating, movable cutter working within such head; the threads of the stitches of a seam engaging in the slots and being severed by the cutter as the device is manually advanced along the seam.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seam ripping device which is small and light weight.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a seam ripping device which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable seam ripping device, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation of the seam ripping device illustrating the manually operated embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, except that the adjacent side of the thin hollow head is broken away.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, as shown in Figs. 1-3, inclusive, the seam ripping device comprises a scissors-like assembly which includes cooperating longitudinal shanks, indicated at I and 2, and said shanks are pivoted together, for relative swinging movement, as at 3.

The shank I may be termed the fixed shank, while the shank 2 is the movable one thereof.

At the rear ends the shanks l and 2 diverge slightly, and are formed with finger loops 4, by

means of which the device is supported and-actuated. Y

At the front end thereof the fixed shank I is fittedwith a. thin hollow head 5, which includes spaced sides 6; such sides-being quite close together at the forward part of the head, but having somewhat greater spacing at the rear part of the head.

The forward edge portions of the sides 6 converge and merge at the front edge 'I of the head 5; such convergence assuring that the head may have easy sliding engagement with the pieces of cloth which are secured by the seam or line of stitchin to be ripped.

Additionally, the front edge 'I of the head 5 is forwardly arcuate, except at the ends where rounded guide nubs 8 project ahead of the adjacent end of said front edge "I, and form notches 9 with the adjacent ends of the curved edge I.

The front edge I of head 5 is formed with a row of tapering teeth It! parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis of the device and leavin thread receiving slots l I therebetween.

A thin circular cutting disc I2 is joumaled in the head 5, as will be hereinafter seen, the disc being of sufiicient diameter to lap slots II; the rounded edge I of the head 5 being concentric with the disc. A cutting disc I2 is fixed concentric with a pinion I 3 whose hub turns on the spindle-forming portion I4 of a screw I5 mounted in the back side 6 of the head 5. At the end adjacent the pinion l3, the movable shank 2 is formed with a rack l6 which runs in mesh with said pinion, whereby upon repeated openin and closing movement of the finger loops 4 by hand, the pinion I3 and cutter disc I2 are rotated first in one direction and then in the other.

When the device is in use, it is supported from the hand by finger engagement in the loops 4, and then the device is manipulated so that the head 5 advances, between the layers of cloth, lengthwise against the seam or line of stitching II to be ripped. Thereafter, with the finger loops 4 being worked relatively in and out, the device is advanced along the seam; the thread comprising the stitching successively entering the slots II and being cut by the rotating cutter disc I2. The operation is rapid and effective, and yet there is no opportunity for the cutter disc l2 to cut the cloth adjacent the seam II.

The guide nubs 8 assure that the device will not run off or away from the seam I1 during the ripping operation. Any mis-alinement of the device will result in the line of stitching catching in a notch 9, and thus not relatively slipping off either end of the head.

The described device provides a handy, practical, and convenient instrument for the rapid and effective ripping of garment forms.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

Whileietiii's; specification sets forth: in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not formadeparture from the spirit of the inventiomwasw defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the foflowing is claimed as new anduseful andupon,

which Letters Patent are desired':

A seam ripping device comprising ai pain ofa shanks about the pivot.

1 PETER Also Mn'r.

REFERENCES CITED .Thetfollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re:20;169 Viall Nov. 10, 1936 179,105 Gavit June 27, 1876 630,792 Applebay .Aug, 8,v 1899 1,089,726, Sharpnack. .Mar, 1051914 1,670,309 McAbee.. May 22;, 1'928 1,997,768 Dreverhoff- Apr. I6, 1935. 

